16 septiembre 2007

1066 AND ALL THAT


A Memorable History of England,
comprising all the parts you can remember,
including 103 Good Things,
5 Bad Things, and
2 Genuine Dates

By
WALTER CARRUTHERS SELLAR
Aegrot: Oxon.

and

ROBERT JULIAN YEATMAN
Failed M. A., etc., Oxon.

Illustrated by
JOHN REYNOLDS, GENT.



COMPULSORY PREFACE
(This Means You)


Histories have previously been written with the object of exalting their authors. The object of this History is to console the reader. No other history does this.

History is not what you thought. It is what you can remember. All other history defeats itself.

This is the only Memorable History of England, because all the History that you can remember is in this book, which is the result of years of research in golf-clubs, gun-rooms, green-rooms, etc.

For instance, two out of the four Dates originally included were eliminated at the last moment, a research done at the Eton and Harrow match having revealed that they are not memorable.



CHAPTER I
Caesar Invades Britain


The first date* in English History is 55 B. C., in which year Julius Caesar (the memorable Roman Emperor) landed, like all other successful invaders of these islands, at Thanet. This was in the Old Days, when the Romans were top nation on account of their classical education, etc.


*For the other date see Chapter II, William the Conqueror


"This was a Good Thing"